Snyder Will React With Big Hire

[Bulldog]

Twice before Dan Snyder has faced this kind of public scrutiny and pressure to make significant changes.

And in both instances he made them.

The first time was after the meltdown in 2000 with the Turner firing and the last 3 games under the forgettable Terry Robiskie.

Enter Marty.

The second time was in 2004 after Steve Spurrier blew up on the organization and players admitted they slept in team meetings.

Enter Joe Gibbs.

The problem for Snyder is not recognizing the psychological moment in making a change, but in following through and allowing those changes to work their own magic.

Snyder did not do that with Marty despite the calls from Arrington and Samuels that Marty should be retained for 2002.Both players said they were learning things from that staff which didn't happen in 2000.

Snyder couldn't help himself from re-entering the equation.

Ditto after Joe was re-hired.

Gibbs wanted Brunell and Williams wanted Springs,Griffin and later London Fletcher.

But the decision to target busts like Brandon Lloyd and Adam Archuleta likely fall into that 'grey' area where the reinvigorated Cerrato and Snyder with the help of Shadow GM Clinton Portis took action.

So, I have no doubt that Snyder will reach out for the name hire.

My question is whether this time he will actually give the new administration a decent start before trying to re-enter and go back to the way things were?
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[Boone]

And I think the other obvious question, one that's never been more problematic, is whether any of the 'big hire' candidates would even consider working for a guy like Snyder. His already shaky image has taken such an incredibly bad and public beating, I think most if not all high-caliber coaches would be very hesitant to come to DC, no matter what the pay.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

what if he went after an OC or DC and tried to hire them. would we be happy?

They could hire bob the janitor from Redskins park for all I care, I want a daggone real GM.

 

[Boone]

I don't think that's the case Mike. I think folks believed that Gibbs had maybe gotten the organization squared away, mentored Snyder in the true role of an owner, and that the hiring of Zorn was just one we'd have to have faith was a good call.

Fassel and Cowher were 2 totally separate scenarios. Except for a handful of fans, I couldn't imagine anyone not being excited and optimistic about having Cowher in the head coach role. Fassel was damaged goods, had lots of question marks, and would've been viewed as 'settling' for a yes-man type coach desperate for another NFL stint. I don't think you can lump those 2 together.

I think where we went wrong is not that we took a shot on an unknown (lets face it, Zorn could've been the next Bill Walsh for all we knew), but that we chose that moment in time to take a shot of a total unknown. I mean - Zorn made other unknowns look like our next door neighbors - guy had literally no track record. With a steadying force like Gibbs suddenly announcing his departure, we really needed someone equally steady, reliable, a known quantity. In retrospect, that was truly a blown decision, to roll the dice in a crapshoot that an unknown would turn out to be 'the guy' with nothing but 'intuition' to back up the decision.

I have no idea why Zorn got this opportunity - it's almost unfathomable.

My fear? It's because no one else, other than the Jim Fassel's of the world, was interested. If you recall, the fans were violently opposed to Fassel - it would've created a ****storm had Snyder gone for the guy. The irony is, I think we'd be in far better shape with a guy like Fassel in place the past 2 years. If it turns out that it really was the spectre of working for Dan Snyder that kept us from hiring a qualified HC the last go-round, imagine how hard it's going to be to find Zorn's replacement now?

 

[Neophyte]

I think where we went wrong is not that we took a shot on an unknown (lets face it, Zorn could've been the next Bill Walsh for all we knew), but that we chose that moment in time to take a shot of a total unknown. I mean - Zorn made other unknowns look like our next door neighbors - guy had literally no track record. With a steadying force like Gibbs suddenly announcing his departure, we really needed someone equally steady, reliable, a known quantity. In retrospect, that was truly a blown decision, to roll the dice in a crapshoot that an unknown would turn out to be 'the guy' with nothing but 'intuition' to back up the decision.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately and I think this is only half the problem. The other half is that Zorn did not bring in an experienced Offensive Coordinator to work with. He had no Coordinator experience himself so has been trying to get his hands around both jobs at once.

Look at last year's other three first time Head Coaches. In Baltimore, Harbaugh, kept Rex Ryan his first year and brought in Cam Cameron (someone I really wish had been OC here) to be the OC. In Miami, Sparano brought in Dan Henning to be the OC and Paul Pasqualoni to be DC (years of college HC experience at Syracuse). In Atlanta, Mike Smith brought in Mike Mularky to be the OC (OC under Cowher in Pitt and HC of Buffalo) and Brian VanGorder as DC (DC at Georgia for 4 years and college HC, worked under Smith in Jac for a year).

All the moves speak of bringing experience to back up a new, first time Head Coach. All were picks made by that new Head Coach rather than by the front office even before hiring the Head Coach. Zorn had not input on the defensive side of the ball and when given the chance to fill the offensive side, he picked guys with little or no experience with the offense he wanted to run, much less the position he was hiring them for.

 

[Bulldog]

Zorn was a panic hire in a year where Gibbs left unexpectedly (to Snyder). While some of us figured that Joe may have been tired out by the challenges of the 2007 season and the tragic death of Sean Taylor, Snyder thought Gibbs would definitely be back in 2008 to try and build on 9-7. I think Gibbs knew that 9-7 record was only possible because of the emotion carrying over from #21. 2008 was likely to be a less successful year.

When Gibbs finally did resign, it was a poor year for 'big' hire candidates. Cowher refused to consider coaching until 2010 and Billick despite the Super Bowl victory on his resume wasn't looked at as a foundation builder.

So, left to his own devices and lacking the big name candidates, Snyder worked with Cerrato to come up with Jim Fassel, who did lead the Giants to the Super Bowl but whom Redskins fans looked at as a failed coach in many ways.

The reaction to Fassel who had identified Zorn to Snyder and Cerrato made Snyder look in another direction and ultimately decide that hiring Zorn would help Campbell develop and still allow him and Cerrato to run the personnel side of things.

 

[Yusuf06]

I'd have to disagree with your contention that Gibbs figured we'd topped out at 9-7. On the contrary I think Gibbs figured we were a team that was a few pieces away from competing. In his mind he left us with an up and coming QB prospect, an elite RB, a good defense and a handpicked successor at HC. How could he have known Snyderatto would crap all over everything?

Again, we weren't a powerhouse at that point but we should have been better that .500 had Snyderatto followed the script.
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[Boone]

You implying Gibbs assumed Gregg Williams would slide into his vacated head coaching position Yusuf?

 

[Bulldog]

Honestly, I think Gibbs realized every motivational tool from the toolkit was necessary in 2007 to get this team to the playoffs.

Is it a coincidence that he left after a playoff appearance? Again, I don't think so. He wanted to go out feeling good about himself and the team and not depart after a 5-11 season.

The 2007 team was 5-7 and the only reasons this club went 4-0 was the emotion created by Sean Taylor's memory and the unexpected emergence of Todd Collins, whom opposing team really didn't have much of a book on as he had not played much in the previous 5-6 years.

 

[Elephant]

Honestly, I think Gibbs realized every motivational tool from the toolkit was necessary in 2007 to get this team to the playoffs.

Is it a coincidence that he left after a playoff appearance? Again, I don't think so. He wanted to go out feeling good about himself and the team and not depart after a 5-11 season.

The 2007 team was 5-7 and the only reasons this club went 4-0 was the emotion created by Sean Taylor's memory and the unexpected emergence of Todd Collins, whom opposing team really didn't have much of a book on as he had not played much in the previous 5-6 years.

I agree with many of the players we should let go, especially Randle El. As far as the Taylor influence being the reason for the swing, I'm not buying it BD. Of the 7 losses earlier in that season, only one of them was a game we had no chance of winning, the Patriots blow out. A tipped pass here or not choosing the reverse to Moss in Green Bay there and they could have been 6-6 or even 7-5.

You say the emotion of the loss of Taylor carried us through and I suggest that it caused us one of those close losses when coach called a 2nd time out to give their kicker an even better chance to make the FG at the end of the game. A game we should have won, but it just seemed like the players were not there mentally.

I have heard this argument before, but I think the team was exactly where they were supposed to be, maybe even a win or two better.

 

[Yusuf06]

You implying Gibbs assumed Gregg Williams would slide into his vacated head coaching position Yusuf?

Absolutely. Now I wonder how on earth I might have come up with some dang fool, cokamamie idea like that?

 

[Ancalagon]

My view from afar (VERY far) when Zorn was hired was "Good stuff - we're giving a talented position coach an opportunity to step up as offensive coordinator. Smart thought, and hopefully it'll work out."

Then when Zorn was suddenly promoted to head coach, this turned to "WTF?"

Unless that transition was much smoother in DC than visible from internationally available media sources, I'm still shaking my head at that one.

 

[China]

I'm trying to figure out who Snyder might be able to get as his "big hire." I don't think Cowher, Holmgren or Shanahan would come here. Of those, I'd only be interested in Cowher anyway. I think the other two are done as far as building SuperBowl winning teams. They could and would build competitive teams, but I think have lost the "it" factor (spark, intangibles, whatever it is) necessary for getting over the hump to a SuperBowl victory.

I can't think of any big names that would take over here. Unless there is a big name GM that can be brought on, but I'll believe that when I see it. If he could do that and then bring in someone like Leslie Frazier, maybe.

He might be able to milk some goodwill by hiring a Redskin legend such as Russ Grimm, but at this point I think Snyder's options are limited.

He could probably get Gruden, he seems to be chomping at the bit to get back into coaching. And he might be able to get Mariucci. Do either of those count as a "big hire"?

 

[Hog Fever]

I don’t think Grimm would mesh well with Danny Boy, but I like him. I like a lot of the former Skins’ greats. They simply understand what it takes to win. That’s one of the things that puzzles me about the current regime. I understand that Dan wants to carve out his own space in history as owner of the team but why are former players not treated differently?

I’m not talking about the ring of fame or anything. I’m talking about having former Skins in the organization in some real capacity. Maybe that’s a bit naive on my part to think that people who have played the game at the highest level and have had some measure of success would be able to contribute to the organization.

I guess Sonny is still plugged into the team, but why isn’t a guy like Doc Walker involved with the team in a more official role? I could name half a dozen other guys right off the top of my head that could contribute in some capacity as well.

 

[PennSkinsfan]

The problem with Snyder and a big hire is how much control Snyder wants to retain. If he wants to retain a ton of say, then besides Jon Gruden, I am not sure who we will lure in here, especially AFTER this season and the embarrassment the franchise has become.

 

[Hog Fever]

Word on the street is Gruden might be on the short list at Notre Dame if Weis gets the ax. Didn't he call that his dream job last year?

 

[hail2skins]

What's scary is that Shanahan and Cerrato are reportedly buddies. What good will it do to hire Shanny if Vinny is still in the picture?

 

[Boone]

I'd fall out from shock if GW came back. He's way too much of a wildcard and far too aggressive for Snyder to work with - which is exactly why he was never a serious candidate, despite being the no-brainer choice when Gibbs left.

I'd venture a guess to say he holds either Snyder, Cerrato, or both in contempt. And I'm guessing they know it

 

[Ax]

Word on the street is Gruden might be on the short list at Notre Dame if Weis gets the ax.

Although I was heavily recruited, I have no intention of attending Notre Dame.

I think Chucky is the choice for Snyder, and Vinny. If only to prove that the current group of players need only a good, motivational coach, to excel.

Of course, if we run the table and make the playoffs, Zorn will return, and there might be more "fans" unhappy, than not.

 

[Hog Fever]

Although I was heavily recruited, I have no intention of attending Notre Dame.